Road to recovery: Acting Chief Executive Donald Tsang says the Budget sets out a clear and comprehensive plan on how to restore fiscal balance.

The 2003/04 Budget sets out a clear and comprehensive plan to restore fiscal balance by 2006-07 - as the Government has promised to do, said the Acting Chief Executive Donald Tsang.

When devising plans to get our public finances back on track, Mr Tsang said, the Government knows acutely that it is important not to put undue burden on people.

At the same time, the Government must not allow any tax increases to hamper economic recovery.

Hence, the Budget "strikes the right balance" between dealing with the deficit in a decisive manner and addressing the community's concerns, he noted.

Speaking after the Financial Secretary's Budget address today, Mr Tsang appealled to everyone in Hong Kong to pull together as a community to overcome current difficulties.

"With shared responsibility and a joint effort, we can get Government finances back onto a solid footing to meet Hong Kong's long-term needs and development."

Meanwhile, unofficial Executive Councillors Leung Chun-ying, Cheng Yiu-tong and Andrew Liao also supported the Budget which they say was in Hong Kong's long-term interests. 

Mr Leung said the budget proposals were "mild and affordable by the public at large". Mr Liao added that the proposals were "practical, mild and reasonable".

Cheng Yiu-tong said the budget proposals were a phased-in soft landing to tackle the deficit problem.